Posts Tagged bishop’s synod
‘Yes, we can!’ emerges as rallying cry at 2015 synod / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on October 14, 2015
Given the blindingly obvious fact that there are deep divisions at the 2015 Synod of Bishops, various ways of analyzing those fault lines have been proposed. Some see them in terms of the difference between a deductive and inductive approach, some between meeting the world halfway versus not being swallowed up by it, and so on.
“As the synod rolls into its second week (week of Oct. 12), yet another way of understanding the fundamental divide is coming into focus: The gap between those who believe the demands of classic Catholic teaching on sex, marriage, and the family may be unrealistic or inappropriate for some share of the contemporary population, and those convinced that it’s widely attainable in the here-and-now.
“Perhaps one could call the latter position the “Yes We Can!’ brigade at the 2015 synod.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this commentary.
What happened at the Synod Oct. 6 regarding women deacons / Pray Tell Blog
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Synod of Bishops, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women Deacons, Women in Catholic Church on October 7, 2015
What happened at the synod today (Oct. 6)? Review for us just what (Canadian) Archbishop (Paul-Andre) Durocher (of Quebec) said.
“Archbishop Durocher commented on No. 29 in the Synod document—the place of women in the Church. He made two very important and interrelated comments: 1) women should be included in Church governance; 2) women should be restored to the ordained diaconate. As a matter of fact, the only persons who can share governance or jurisdiction in the church are clerics, and the ordinary way of entering the clerical state is by ordination to the diaconate …”
Click here to read the rest of this Q& A on Archbishop Durocher’s comments at the Synod on the Family regarding women’s roles in the Church. The Q&A is on the Pray Tell blog and is with Phyllis Zagano, Ph.D.
Dr. Zagano is a senior research associate-in-residence at Hfostra University, Hempstead, NY, where she continues her research on women in ministry, specifically women deacons. She is author of many books and articles on the topic, most recently: “In the Image of Christ: Essays on Being Catholic and Female,” and the ground-breaking “Holy Saturday: An Argument for the Restoration of the Female Diaconate in the Catholic Church.” Voice of the Faithful presented her with a St. Catherine of Siena Distinguished Layperson Award in 2012.
Catholic women sharply call for Synod to open to women’s participation, voices / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Future of the Church, Women in Catholic Church, Women in the Church on September 17, 2015
A diverse global network of Catholic women is set to launch an expansive and compelling collection of writings before the opening of October’s Synod of Bishops, pointedly calling on the male prelates to include their half of humanity and its experience in the synod’s discussions.
“In 40 short essays mixing the sociological, theological, and sometimes deeply personal, the writers raise a number of weighty concerns for the hotly anticipated worldwide meeting of prelates on family life — centered on the fact that extraordinarily few women are invited or involved.
“At the heart of many of their concerns, however, is their own exclusion from the Synod process. While Francis has appointed 30 women to attend the Synod as auditors making contributions to the discussions, only the 279 male members of the meetings can vote …
“‘The absence of women’s perspectives at times of reflection on these issues is not only an act of disdain toward women, who make up more than half of religious and believers, it is also an impoverishment of Catholic life, writes (historian Lucetta) Scaraffia, one of 43 women writing for the essay collection, titled ‘Catholic Women Speak: Bringing Our Gifts to the Table.’”
By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
The collection of essays will be launched in Rome on Oct. 1.
National clergy group launches its own synod questionnaire / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Voice of the Faithful on February 26, 2015
As U.S. dioceses continue their Vatican-ordered consultations for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family, a national clergy group has launched its own questionnaire in an effort to highlight the issues most pressing to priests.
“The Association of U.S. Catholic Priests sent a synod survey on Jan. 31 to its 1,000-plus members, asking each not to answer the 46 questions presented in the synod’s working document, the lineamenta, but instead to rank them in importance on a seven-point scale from ‘not important’ to ‘essential.’ Each question also offers comment space for priests to expand on those questions they deemed as essential.”
By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Also of interest is, “Strong Catholic Families offers simplified survey for family synod,” by Soli Salgado, National Catholic Reporter.
U.S. dioceses consult Catholics on family issues for fall synod / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Voice of the Faithful on February 17, 2015
Catholics who want to give input to their local bishops ahead of October’s global Synod of Bishops on the family have ample opportunity — but they better hurry.
“A preliminary sampling of 21 dioceses around the U.S. found all were seeking input from individual Catholics through online surveys or parish consultations, and information on how to provide that input was easily available through the local diocesan newspaper, the diocesan website, or both.
“But most dioceses in this preliminary sampling are closing the consultation in early March, and at least a few are closing the consultations as early as Friday. Many dioceses issued the invitation to participate in surveys in January. Juneau, Alaska, seems to be earliest, issuing an invitation Jan. 14.
“In 2013, Pope Francis initiated a two-year churchwide consultation on the family that included an extraordinary Synod of Bishops, which met at the Vatican in October 2014, and an ordinary Synod of Bishops, which will meet Oct. 4-25 at the Vatican and focus on the theme, ‘The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World.’”
By Dennis Coday, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Bishops wrap-up extraordinary synod
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on October 18, 2014
Divided bishops water down welcome to gays and divorced Catholics
A dramatic Vatican summit of bishops ended Saturday night by significantly watering down an opening to both gays and divorced and remarried Catholics contained in an interim report released Monday.
“Paragraphs on those two points were the only items that failed to receive a two-thirds majority of the Synod of Bishops in voting on its final document. While there’s no magic to the two-thirds threshold in this sort of Vatican ballot, the results clearly reflect a divided hierarchy on both issues.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
The Vatican’s synod on the bishops, and why you’ve missed the point / Huffington Post
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on October 18, 2014
If you are extraordinarily upset or excited about the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family that has taken place for the last two weeks here in Rome, then you likely don’t really understand what it actually is. The prior statement is neither a cynical nor is it a flip or reductive statement. It is also not meant to be merely provocative, and it is certainly not meant to be insulting. It is, however, a dose of reality. In the months leading up to this synod we have heard the narrative of a gradual simultaneous crescendo of the two seemingly discordant melodies of “justice” and “mercy” rising up within the Vatican.”
By Rev. Mr. Michael Rogers, S.J., Huffington Post — Click here to read the rest of this column.
Some bishops want a do-over, as opposition to synod document grows
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Voice of the Faithful on October 15, 2014
Surprising words of appreciation for homosexuals, couples living together outside marriage and others that appeared yesterday in a working document from a summit of Catholic bishops in Rome have triggered a media tumult on the outside, and sharp debate on the inside.
“While the Vatican tried to play down the significance of the document, insisting that it’s merely provisional, some bishops inside the Oct. 5-19 Synod of Bishops on the family seem to be taking it very seriously indeed.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., and Ines San Martin, Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Senior church figures have expressed concern about a document issued by the bishops’ Synod on the Family yesterday proposing a landmark shift in the Church’s pastoral care of gay Catholics, cohabiting couples and those in civil marriages.
“Cardinal Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura – the Church’s supreme court – told The Tablet the text is ‘unacceptable.'”
By Hannah Roberts and Christopher Lamb, The Tablet — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Lay Groups Launch Surveys to Answer Vatican Questionnaire / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on November 18, 2013
While U.S. bishops consider how best and how broad to collect information ahead of a 2014 global bishops’ meeting on family issues, several lay Catholic groups took the task into their own hands. In mid-November, a coalition of 15 church reform groups (including Voice of the Faithful) — primarily members of Catholic Organizations for Renewal — created an online survey for U.S. Catholics to offer their thoughts on the preparatory document to the 2014 Synod of Bishops, which will focus on the theme of ‘pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization.’” By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter
Read the rest of Roewe’s report by clicking here.
Additional information on gathering input from the faithful in preparation for past synods can be found in NCR’s Joshua McElwee’s article “Experts: Wide-Range Listening for Synods a Massive Undertaking.” Click here to read the article.
Vatican Asks for Parish-Level Input on Synod Document / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on November 1, 2013
Will bishops in the United States truly poll local Catholics to seek input from the People of God in Vatican II’s spirit of collegiality? Here from National Catholic Reporter’s Joshua McElwee is an outline of what the Vatican has asked local bishops to do and differences between how U.S. and other countries might conduct the poll:
The Vatican has asked national bishops’ conferences around the world to conduct a wide-ranging poll of Catholics asking for their opinions on church teachings on contraception, same-sex marriage and divorce.
“Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops, asked the conferences to distribute the poll ‘immediately as widely as possible to deaneries and parishes so that input from local sources can be received.’
“The poll, which comes in a questionnaire sent to national bishops’ conferences globally in preparation for a Vatican synod on the family next October, is the first time the church’s central hierarchy has asked for such input from grass-roots Catholics since at least the establishment of the synod system following the Second Vatican Council.”
Added emphasis is ours. Read all of McElwee’s article by clicking here.
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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